068: Bubble Frog vs. Pikachu!!
After expertly dodging Pikachu's opening Thunder Shock and commanding Bubble Frog to activate Aqua Ring a technique that steadily restores stamina Ash launched a precise counterattack without hesitation.
"Bubble Frog, stay agile! Then strike back with Bubble Mousse!" Ash's sharp gaze locked onto the opposing Pikachu, showing none of the mercy one might expect for such a familiar face.
"Quack!" Responding with crisp discipline, Bubble Frog reached for the frothy sacs around its throat, quickly shaping two masses of Bubble Mousse like expertly packed snowballs, and hurled them at Pikachu with fluid grace, targeting the embankment zone where Pikachu had limited movement.
Tess, the wiry opponent across the field, had already seen the potency of this unique bubble technique during previous mock battles and immediately shouted, "Pikachu, sidestep quick!" His body dropped into a sprinter's lunge as he dramatically waved his arm to issue the command.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
"Pika Pi!" Pikachu darted left and right, zipping between bubbles as they burst mid-air. Each dodge was precise, aided by Pikachu's compact build and honed reflexes typical of an Electric-type trained under Kanto's elite instructors.
The crowd of students erupted in applause, clapping wildly at the impressive evasion. Some even stood up, recognizing that this was not a simple schoolyard duel but a clash between elite-tier potential.
Tess pumped his fist, eyes bright. "That's the way, Pikachu!"
Yet Ash didn't waver. "Bubble Frog, maintain pressure continue launching Bubble Mousse!" he ordered, his expression calm and focused.
"Quack~!" Despite slight fatigue from earlier rounds, Bubble Frog's movements were smooth, its stamina continuously bolstered by Aqua Ring. It kept generating and throwing glistening Bubble Mousse spheres like clockwork, pushing Pikachu further into the defensive.
Shuuuuuuu pop! Shuuuuu pop!
The arena echoed with bubble bursts as Pikachu bounced around like a spark of lightning, guided by Tess's enthusiastic cries. "Dodge again! Keep dodging!"
"Pika—Pi!!" Pikachu squealed with cheer, its carefree demeanor suggesting it had turned the match into a playful exercise completely at ease.
After two full waves of flung mousse attacks, Ash abruptly raised his hand. "Bubble Frog, halt."
The Water-type frog slid to a stop, blinking slightly, still brimming with stamina thanks to the water ring spinning around its body like a veil of mist.
Tess tilted his head, smug. "Giving up? Heh. My Pikachu's way too nimble. That Bubble Mousse move? It's flashy, but you haven't hit even once."
Ash tilted his head in return, showing a mysterious smile. "Oh? Is that so?"
He then pointed a steady finger toward Pikachu's feet. "Take a good look at the ground surrounding your Pokémon. You think Pikachu can still dodge like that?"
"Eh?" Tess blinked, confused. His eyes dropped.
"Ah! Crap !!" he yelped in panic.
To his horror, the entire space around Pikachu had turned slippery and unstable puddles from all the Bubble Mousse that had missed but exploded on impact now coated the ground in a slick film of soapy residue. Pikachu, standing in the center of a shiny trap, looked momentarily stunned.
From the sideline, Professor Oak who had been observing narrowed his eyes. "He wasn't trying to hit Pikachu at all... Ash was reshaping the battlefield."
His assistant, Gang Ping, nodded in disbelief. "He's only six, but he's manipulating tempo and terrain like a seasoned trainer. That's... amazing."
The students murmured among themselves, some with widened eyes. No one had expected that the boy who rarely spoke much would be the one to set such a trap.
Ash exhaled slowly. "Now, Bubble Frog. Time to strike."
Just now, Tes had been overly focused on ordering Pikachu to dodge Bubble Frog's Bubble Mousse attack, unaware that during the frantic movements, the battlefield around Pikachu had become littered with patches of sticky Bubble Mousse. Now, the only safe area remaining was the small circle of ground directly beneath Pikachu's feet.
Had Ash and Bubble Frog not halted their attack earlier, Pikachu might already have been immobilized by the adhesive Bubble Mousse. Even though Bubble Frog had stopped flinging attacks for the moment, both Tes and Pikachu were now in an extremely dangerous situation.
After calmly pointing out the situation, Ash didn't allow Tes any time to strategize a counter. He seized the initiative without mercy and launched a follow-up assault.
This time, it wasn't the casual, snowball-style Bubble Mousse throw it was a full-on ranged attack.
"Frogadier, use Bubble!" Ash raised his hand in a sharp command, his eyes gleaming with intensity.
"Frogaaa!" Frogadier (Bubble Frog's evolved form, as confirmed in the manga) responded instantly.
Thanks to the continuous healing effects of the Water Veil (the "liquid circle"), Frogadier had recovered a considerable amount of stamina. Its offensive now appeared even more aggressive and well-timed.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
With a deep breath and cheeks puffed, Frogadier narrowed his eyes like a trained marksman and unleashed a rapid-fire barrage of glistening blue bubbles from his mouth, resembling a high-pressure water cannon.
"Pikachu, dodge it quickly!!" Tes shouted, now clearly shaken and without his earlier bravado.
"Pika-Pika!" The nimble Pikachu again leapt and twisted in midair, attempting evasive maneuvers, but this time, the situation had changed drastically.
In the earlier Bubble Mousse throw, Frogadier could only toss two projectiles per action, and Pikachu needed to dodge them one at a time. But now, Frogadier wasn't tossing it was firing a steady salvo, releasing a shotgun-like spread of a dozen water bubbles in one breath.
Under such intense pressure, Pikachu could no longer dodge with ease.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Pikaaaa!" Trapped by the sticky Mousse coating the ground, Pikachu was now like a target in a carnival shooting range. It couldn't avoid being struck by the dense barrage.
"Pikachu…!" Tes hadn't expected the tide to turn so rapidly. Moments ago, he was in control. Now, his partner was under heavy fire with nowhere left to run.
He didn't freeze this time. Quickly regaining focus, Tes pointed and shouted: "Pikachu, counter with Thunder Shock!"
"Pika!" Responding instantly, Pikachu slammed its cheeks with its paws, sparking violently as currents crackled around its small body.
Ash didn't hesitate either. He fired off a command to maintain momentum. "Frogadier, target Pikachu's feet don't let it get stable footing!"
"Frogadier!!" The Water-type Pokémon's voice rang out again, and it opened its mouth to shoot another precise volley, this time aiming low to destabilize Pikachu's stance.
Shhhhhh...
Pikachu's electricity surged just as the water bubbles tore through the air.
Zzzzap!
Thunder Shock burst forward like a whip, slicing through the wave of water bullets. Though it was a single-target Electric move, its elemental advantage and conductivity through water meant that it burst through the attack zone with chain reactions.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Each water bubble that met the Thunder Shock exploded violently, the battlefield filled with steam and bursts of mist. However, Frogadier's Bubble assault had volume on its side. Despite most being neutralized midair, a few "lucky shots" slipped through.
Smack! Smack!
Two bubbles struck Pikachu directly, while two more splashed the small platform of dry ground beneath him.
Pikachu, forced into rapid retreat, sprang backward right into the minefield of sticky Bubble Mousse.
And just as it touched down, its paw squelched deep into a hidden cluster of slime.
"Pika !" The sudden slip made Pikachu's ears twitch in alarm, and its expression shifted from determination to panic. It staggered mid-step.
Tes gasped from the sidelines, his voice stuck in his throat. His earlier confidence had completely vanished as his partner stumbled right into a trap.
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